WESTFIELD - DeForest Buckner is back on the field, back in team drills and back to thinking about football instead of the neck surgery that kept him out for months.
That wasn’t always a given. Buckner said the recovery period after New Year’s Eve surgery to fix a herniated disc that was pressing on a nerve sent him into “deep, dark thoughts about what I’m going to do’’ before he got to this point. Now, with training camp rolling on at Grand Park Sports Campus, the Colts’ defensive anchor is easing back into the mix with limited 11-on-11 work.
The return has gone well enough that Buckner says the post-practice soreness keeps fading each time he’s out there.
“I feel like every time I’ve been out there in team, getting those reps, the soreness post-practice has gone less and less,’’ Buckner said. “So, it’s been very encouraging.’’
He’s still aiming at the Sept. 13 opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Oh, yeah,’’ he said. “Definitely.’’
Buckner said his first day back came with a memorable greeting.
“I’m able to be past it,’’ Buckner said after Saturday’s indoor practice. “Especially my first day.
Not going to name any names. Nice little punch to the face.
“It was a nice little, ‘Welcome back.’ I was like, ‘Neck works.’’’
He didn’t identify the culprit, though he often lines up across from All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson.
The Colts have been managing Buckner’s workload carefully, and that continued during the joint practice with the New England Patriots last week. He said that was probably his heaviest day so far.
“Just really pass-rush reps,’’ he said. “Did some one-on-ones and then a bunch of pass-rush situations with the 1s.
“So, yeah, it was still limited reps, but I was just happy to be able to go out there and go against another opponent.’’
More work should be coming when the Colts face the Atlanta Falcons in joint practices Wednesday and Thursday, but Buckner is unlikely to play in either the Saturday preseason game against Atlanta or the Aug. 29 finale against Detroit.
He also said the injury has forced a small adjustment in how he plays.
“Well, just really keeping my head out of a bunch of things and stuff like that,’’ he said. “Trying to avoid those unnecessary hits and everything.’’
Elsewhere at practice, special teams coordinator Brian Mason was back on the field two days after tearing multiple knee ligaments and suffering additional damage on the final play of Thursday’s preseason game against the Patriots. Mason wore a bulky brace on his left knee after players rolled into him on the Colts’ sideline.
Buckner had no trouble describing Mason’s toughness.
“Dawg!’’ Buckner said with a wide smile. “I mean, they brought the cart out for him (at the game), he got up and was like, ‘Nah, I’m walking it off.’
“He’s a dawg.’’
Buckner also pointed out that Mason’s presence around the team now gives him even more to say in meetings.
“Now he has some stuff he can talk about to the guys when he has his meetings,’’ Buckner said. “He can tell them, ‘Oh, you’ve got a sore neck, sore leg, whatever it is?
Get up and go out there. Look what I did.’
“All jokes aside, I’m glad he’s doing good.’’
Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt said he was not shocked by the NFL’s decision to suspend him for the opener for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
“Not surprised at all,’’ he said. “I already knew that I was going to get that game. Glad we can knock it out.’’
The suspension is tied to Taylor-Britt being sentenced to five days in Hamilton County (Ohio) jail on Jan. 6 after pleading guilty to reckless driving and driving without a license from two separate 2025 incidents. He can practice and play in preseason games, and the suspension runs from Aug. 30 until he can be reinstated Sept. 14.
On the field, Daniel Jones and the No. 1 offense had a mixed day during a practice that leaned heavily on red-run work. Jones was unofficially 7-of-13, and there were a few throws away when his receivers couldn’t separate from coverage. Defensive end Laiatu Latu also would have had a sack when Jones held the ball before getting it out.
Still, Jones found the end zone four times, connecting with Josh Downs, Tyler Warren, Laquon Treadwell and Seth McGowan.
Downs’ touchdown initially drew some concern when he took the score with Justin Walley on him, landed hard and limped briefly. He never went to the trainers, though, and was back for the next 11-on-11 series.
The list of players not practicing included offensive tackle Luke Tenuta (knee), wideout Anthony Gould (right leg), guard Jalen Farmer (knee), cornerback Charvarius Ward (back), running back DJ Giddens (hamstring) and linebacker CJ Allen (hamstring).
The Colts also worked out five players: wide receivers Josh Reynolds, Tre’Quan Smith and Equanimeous St. Brown, quarterback Mark Gronowski and cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau.
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